This invention relates to a mailing envelope structure and method and, more particularly, to an envelope packet which lends itself to the receipt of recipient information at high speed -- as in a computer printer.
During the last decade, there has been wide-spread use of computer printers for sending out standardized envelope assemblies wherein individualized information has been applied by the computer printer. Such information may be tax information, university grades, invoicing, etc. For the most part, the mailing pieces employed in this operation have been multiply business forms designated "mailers", i.e., continuous stuffed sealed envelope assemblies. Representative of such mailers in U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,799.
A common usage of such mailers involves five plies or webs of paper, i.e., the front and back of the outgoing envelope, the front and back of the return envelope and the important information ply. Inasmuch as the information ply must be within the outgoing envelope, it is necessary to apply carbon to the inside of the front of the outgoing envelope so that the computer printer can impress the neccesary information relating to the recipient. This, on occasion, has resulted in smudging or other unsightliness. In addition, there is the problem of clarity of register of the printing because of the use of the multi-ply form. Still further, the mailer forms are relatively expensive because of the various operations performed during their manufacture, i.e., collating, cutting, applying adhesive, etc.
The drawbacks of the existing mailers have been avoided by the instant invention which makes use of but a single ply. It permits the achievement of an outgoing envelope, a return envelope, and an information ply or sheet. There is no need for carbonization, hence, no smudging. There is no complicated manufacturing operation, merely printing and possibly slight trimming of a commonplace business form. Lastly, the operations performed for completing the envelope structure may be performed at the site or plant of the party sending out the envelope so that stringent quality control can be maintained.
The structure responsible for this advantageous operation includes as a basic unit a sheet or web of material formed into a generally rectangular blank and having a pair of perpendicular lines of potential folding to divide the blank into four parts. One of the parts serving as an information ply is arranged to expose marginal edge portions of adjacent parts for gluing. The other three parts are available as the fronts and back of the outgoing and return envelopes.
Other details of construction and the method of making and handling as well as other advantages available from the practice of the invention can be seen in the ensuing specification.